Using Stormcast in Kings of War

 Exile

On 4th April, 2024, Games Workshop announced the imminent removal of entire ranges of models from the new version of Age of Sigmar. Included in this removal were many of the early Stormcast Eternals models.

I'd amassed a modest collection of these models, mostly from the Soul Wars release box, and wanted to find an alternative use for them rather than just relegating them to storage. However, the bulky, oversized build of the Stormcast range would make it difficult to find a good home for them – you couldn't use them in a skirmish game, for example, because they'd be far too big sitting alongside ordinary, human-sized models.

The Search For A Home

Maybe I could find a way to make them fit in with Kings of War's multi-bases – large bases holding a full formation of models. If I could find a faction that would reflect the style and variety of the Stormcast range I could bring my figures to the table again.

The best fit for the theme of the Stormcast is definitely Kings of War's Basileans. These are heroic humans with angelic allies and definitely have some good parallels. However, the bulk of their army relies on ordinary infantry, some with heavy armour, but some more modestly equipped. And, even with the flexibility of the multi-base, trying to pass off half-a-dozen Stormcast as a mass of twenty soldiers just stretches things a bit too far. 

On the other hand, some of their larger options definitely do fit: Prosecutors should work as the angelic Elohi, and the Ogre Palace Guard can be replaced by…almost any of the melee Stormcast infantry. And in the end that's the problem. You can't make a whole army with predominantly Palace Guard, and you won't be able to take advantage of any of the variety within the Stormcast range.

Size comparison between Sequitors and Mantic Ogre warriors. 

The plastic cards under the Sequitors are 40 mm x 120 mm, as required for Large Infantry.

Ogres To The Rescue

But what if you just use them as ordinary Ogres? The core of the Ogre faction in Kings of War is built of a variety of large infantry units – would they match the Stormcast range? The answer is, yes, surprisingly well. Here's how I see them mapping:

• Liberators with shields become Siege Breakers
• Liberators with dual weapons become Berserker Braves
• Sequitors become Ogre Warriors
• Castigators become Boomers
• Judicators become Shooters
• Evocators become Hunters

That's a great match, covering the core of the Ogre faction, and giving a place for most of the deprecated range. The Evocators are probably the worst fit, but I explain the Hunters' abilities as due to their magical powers. 

Some of the remaining models are still best represented by Basileans. Fortunately, they can be taken as allies in an Ogre list:

• Paladins become Ogre Palace Guards
• Prosecutors become Elohi
• Celestar Balistas become Heavy Arbalests

That covers all the infantry units! The Evocators on Dracolines are the only non-character units remaining, and you could probably use them as chariots. Not a perfect fit, but the scale is about right.

The infantry characters translate over reasonably well, too, standing in for any of the Ogre heroes. I've got a couple of Lord-Arcanum on Gryph-charger models, which are a bit trickier. I think they're best for non-Hero units, either a Mammoth (especially The Big Deal!) or a Red Goblin Slasher.

Looking in the other direction, which models in the Ogre army can you not easily represent? It would be difficult if some key unit were missing. Here's the list:

• Red Goblin Rabble, Sharpsticks and Spitters
• Red Goblin Scouts and Scout Sniffs
• Crocodog Wrangler
• Red Goblin Blaster
• Giant
• Red Goblin Biggit
• Kuzlo and Madfall

The Sharpsticks and Scouts are probably the most desirable units from that list. Big Sharpstick units can help to fill out board space cheaply, allowing concentration elsewhere; Scouts provide cheap, mobile units for screening or playing the mission, or occasionally hitting something soft where it is vulnerable.

So how do we fill them out? You could use goblins, of course, but they'd look out of place alongside Stormcast. Alternatively, any Cities of Sigmar or Empire spearmen would work for the Sharpsticks, maybe painted up as ratty militia to match the poorer quality of the goblin infantry. Maybe a similar approach using Brettonian squires for the Scouts?

I don't have anything like that, though, so I'm tempted to grab a bag or two of cheap Victrix spearmen and cavalry – some nice classical designs that echo the style of the Stormcast might suit, perhaps?

Construction

All of the infantry are classed as Large Infantry in Kings of War. This means they'll all be based the same, depending only on the size of the units:

• Heroes will be 1 figure on a 40 mm x 40 mm base
• Regiments will be 3 figures on a 120 mm x 40 mm base
• Hordes will be 5 or 6 figures on a 120 mm x 80 mm base

Those numbers are convenient, matching typical minimum unit sizes in Age of Sigmar.

You should try to keep all the weaponry on a base the same: all Sequitors with great maces on one base (Ogre Warriors with two handed weapons), for example, while all the Sequitors with shields should be on another (ordinary Ogre Warriors). That said, a little bit of mixing is acceptable, so long as it is clear what they represent.

Take advantage of the generous base sizes to pose the models in a dynamic manner, try to make them look like they are fighting together. Adding lots of scenic detail can help liven them up, too.

Example Vanguard Army

Vanguard is the equivalent of Combat Patrol or Spearhead for Kings of War: rules for playing smaller games, including army building restrictions. Normal armies are ~2000 pts; this army is 750 pts.

1 x regiment of Ogre Warriors
1 x regiment of Ogre Warriors with two-handed weapons
1 x regiment of Ogre Boomers
1 x regiment of Ogre Hunters
1 x Ogre Warlock
1 x Berserker Bully

To some extent, this is just a list of the main Sacrosanct Chamber models, but it should fight just fine. I've got the old Neave Blacktalon, which is a fantastically dynamic model, so I'm using her as a Bully. You could substitute in any melee hero, maybe as a Sergeant instead.

Mantic has an online army builder that can record up to two army lists for free, perfect for one Vanguard and one normal army.